Mount Bethel Freewill Baptist Church was organized prior to 1930 and was located on Jupiter Road near the present-day Jupiter Fire Department.  This land was part of the Floyd Clevenger Family homesite.

 

Reverend C.Y. Elkins came to Jupiter Presbyterian Church on  July 1, 1923 to hold a revival meeting where many souls were saved.  Afterwards, he was called to the Methodist and Baptist Churches to hold revivals.

 

Later some twenty-five people met at the home of Floyd Clevenger.  We wanted to build a church

and after the prayer service, Mrs. Clevenger told us that her husband had decided to give us an acre

of land on which to build the church.  We pledged our money and on Saturday we took a crosscut

saw and cut some locust posts.  We used these posts to build the thirty by fifty feet floor.  Soon,

the church was under roof and we began conducting services with C. Y. Elkins as pastor. 

 

Mount Bethel had been organized by Pastor Elkins and his wife Alice.  The charter members of the

first church were Troy and Ethel McAbee McCurry, Earl and Della Ponder, W.L.(Fate) and

Nannie Phillips Edwards, Isaac and Bertie Edmonds Reece, Wilse and Harriet Edwards Silvers,

Herman and Eva Howell, Herbert and Mrs. Piercy, Perry and Georgia Bradburn Bryant,

Lindsey and Mrs. Howell, Josephine and Claude Sharpe, and Mrs. Nancy Sparks Phillips.

         

The church grew and was overflowing into the yard.  Everyone was very thankful that the Lord was

blessing so richly and saving so many souls.  A larger property was needed and in 1929, our present

property was acquired from Uncle Tom Davis on what became known as Sheppard Branch Road.

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After Pastor Elkins completed his service as pastor, these following men served as pastor at Mount Bethel Church.  These names were located through various historical church records and dates of service are accurate as possible according to these documents.

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C Y Elkins                               1930 - 1939

Jesse Laws                             1940 - 1944

Lindsey Howell                     1944 - 1944

Arthur Edmonds                  1944 - 1948

Lonnie Crawford                  1949 - 1953

John Bascombe Brigman    1954 - 1958

Coy Parham                          1959 - 1964

Bob Ballard                           1965 - 1983

Billy Vanderford                   1984 - 1984

Jay Blankenship                    1984 - 1987

Roy McPeters                        1988 - 2000

Larry Mundy                         2001 - 2001

Bob Ballard                           2002 - 2006

Mike Thomas                        2006 - Present

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Mount Bethel Church has grown through the years.  We are now in our third building at the present site.  We entered the present sanctuary in July of 1978.  Mount Bethel has continued to be blessed by great singers and musician throughout the years.  Our youth have  always been a priority to our church and are involved in service and ministry through music, teaching and activities throughout the community.

 

Foreign missions became a priority in the 1980’s and continues through this day.  We have built churches in China, the Philippines, Thailand, Cambodia, and maintain missionary projects in many other countries.  We are also involved in home missions involving local schools, veterans and others less fortunate in our community. 

 

We look forward to the future with great anticipation; to what the Lord can and will do for those who will let Him.  Now may the God of Peace sanctify you wholly, and we pray to God that your entire spirit, soul and body be preserved blameless until the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.